


Won't Happen Again

by abcame



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, early in relationship, heck the earth queen all my homies hate the earth queen, i suck at titles sorry, if the grammar is bad mind your business, mako week, projecting again but this time its onto wu, wu pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:21:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28242318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abcame/pseuds/abcame
Summary: In which Mako and Wu have a little fight (sorta). Wu learns about himself, Mako learns about Wu.
Relationships: Mako/Prince Wu (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 60





	Won't Happen Again

**Author's Note:**

> tw // implied mentions of verbal/emotional abuse. it's just like, one line and only vagued at, but it's there.
> 
> I imagine this pretty early in their relationship, when they're still learning things about each other and Mako's still his bodyguard.
> 
> Oh, also, this is inspired by In The Event This Doesn't Fall Apart by Shannon Lee Barry, specifically the piece "Panic Attack." I highly recommend yall check her out

“But are you _sure_ you're okay?”

“I said I’m fine!” Mako said sharply, ripping his eyes off his shoes to glare at Wu. There was heat in the look and Wu felt his stomach drop. He felt cold and small and he couldn’t tell if he wanted to burst into tears or yell back. He went with neither.

“Okay,” he said, leveled and quiet, before turning around and getting the hell out of that room as evenly paced as he possibly could. He saw something fall in Mako’s face at his words (well, word singular, really) but he didn’t stick around to see what it meant. He grabbed his coat and keys.

As soon as he was out of their building, Wu felt hot tears on his cheeks, which he hastily wiped away. This wasn’t worth crying over! It’s not like they’d had a fight or something. Mako was just frustrated, and rightfully so. Wu had asked him probably 7 times in a 20 minute period if he was alright—which, Wu knew he wasn’t, but still, he understood how his incessant questions weren’t helping. Even knowing all that, though, Wu felt hallow and a little numb, now. Mako's response triggered something murky in Wu, and he didn’t know why.

*

Wu sat in the grass of a park on the water facing the air temple. It was a gorgeous fall night, but Wu was shivering. He didn’t have a destination in mind when he left the hotel, so he didn’t think to grab his heavier coat in anticipation of the breeze off the water. The muted red sky reflecting into the ocean made it worth it, though. Wu took a deep breath, reveling in the salty air he never got tired of smelling. Republic City’s proximity to the water was probably Wu’s favorite part about it. He’d never even laid eyes on it before, being trapped in the Upper Ring of the already land locked Ba Sing Se.

“Mind if I sit?” a familiar voice asked, interrupting Wu’s thoughts.

“Of course,” he responds, glancing in the direction of the voice.

Mako sat besides him, wordlessly, but kept a slightly uncomfortable amount of space between them. Not so much space they seemed like strangers, but more than usual.

“Woah,” Mako whispered in awe at the sunset before them.

“Yeah.”

They both watched sun set until it had nearly dipped below the water entirely. Wu was the first to speak, eyes still glued to the water line.

“How’d you know where I was?”

Mako shrugged. “You love the ocean.”

Wu couldn’t help the small smile forming at his lips. It always felt too good to be true when Mako remembered little things about him like that.

Mako finally peeled his eyes from the water. “I’m sorry, Wu.”

“And I’m sorry, too.”

“Wait, what? Why are you sorry?” Mako asked, brows furrowed. “I’m the one who lost my temper.”

“I kind of pushed you to it, though,” Wu said with a shrug

Mako’s face went from confused to concerned. “Wu…” he said, covering his hand with is own.

“I just mean, I was being a little crazy, asking if you were okay so many times,” Wu cut him off. “That’s annoying, I was being annoying, so I get why you got frustrated. So I’m sorry. I just…” Wu trailed off, dropping Mako’s gaze in favor of staring at the grass between them. “I'm just used to having to pick up on what people are feeling so I can anticipate my reaction, yanno, like, with my aunt? She would never tell me she was upset with me or that she wanted something from me, but if I didn’t respond correctly she’d berate me. So, I guess I just got in the habit of checking and I get panicked without a real answer.”

Wu squeezed his eyes shut when he finished. He hated this. Hated talking about his aunt, hated realizing the ways she’d had a negative impact on him. He felt the same sick smallness he’d felt earlier, like he could blow away in a breeze.

“Hey,” Mako all but whispered, squeezing Wu’s hand. “Come ‘ere.”

Mako scooched closer to Wu and pulled him against his chest. Wu let himself be pulled, as he had been aching for Mako to hold him since he left the hotel. He let out a shuddered breath of relief as he buried his face into Mako’s neck.

“I’m sure when I shouted at you it felt like your aunt too, right?” Mako asked into Wu’s hair. Wu nodded minutely.

“I’m really sorry, Wu,” he mumbled, tugging him closer. “That’s never going to happen again. And, I need you to know, no matter what you were doing, there’s never a reason for me to react like that. Don’t blame yourself for my actions.”

Wu lifted his head to meet his boyfriend’s eyes. They were big and bright and a little sad. A nagging voice in Wu’s head was telling him he couldn’t trust those words, but he knew it was lying. Mako wasn’t his aunt. It seemed obvious, but clearly his brain needed reminding of it. Mako was kind and honest and protective and loving. He was safe with him—not just cause he was his literal bodyguard—but because in moments like these, Mako proved that his heart was as safe as everything else. Wu felt something tugging in his chest, 3 words threatening to vomit themselves up, but he choked them back. It was too soon, and he didn’t want to ruin this moment. Instead, he whispered, “Thank you,” and kissed Mako slowly to punctuate the point.

Mako gave his waist a squeeze. “Come on, we should head back. I’ve felt you shivering this whole time.”

They walked back to the Four Elements, Mako's coat wrapped around Wu’s shoulders and their fingers intertwined.

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written from WU's POV before!! It was fun, but maybe he was OOC? idk lol. Anyways, I liked writing them working through a little situation like that. Hope yall enjoyed


End file.
